Device for printing prepaid postage on postal packages.



J. LERCHE.

DEVICE FOR PRINTING PREPAID POSTAGE ON POSTAL PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.24, 1912.

1 A I d Inventor gtncsss E JufL/'C Attorneys IIB WWII l J LERCHE.

DEVICE POP PRINTING PREPAID POSTAGE oN POSTAL PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1912.

'mwlu lsmmmrm Humm" IHNIL Inventor Jll'lf ler'cze AttorneJ/.S

J; LERGHE, E DEVICE EGE PEINTlNG PREPAID POSTAGE 0N POSTAL PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24.1912.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ILIIIIIll |ml|||||| 51|@ Jx LERCHE. DEVICE FOR PRINTING PREPAID POSTAGE0N POSTAL PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1912. 1,089,928.

PatentedA Mar. 10, 1914;

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

messes (2f. ww

U'NiTED srnrns y. PATENT ourson.

IULIUS LEBHE, O1" STZEGLITZ, NEAR BERLN, GERMANY, ASSIGNR TO DEUTSCHEPostr- UND nls'snnsriu- EFUBAG), 0F STAAEEN, SFANDAU, GERMANY.

VERKEHBSVESEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT {neme- DE'VICE FOB PRINTING PREPAIDFGSTAGE ON PDSTAL IPAKAGES.`

Specification of Letters ?atent.

,Patented Mar. 10,1914.

Application filed January 24, 1912. Serial No. 673,%5.

`Postage on Postal Packages, oi' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for printing upon letters andpostal packages, stamps or other indications of prepaid postage, theobject of the invention heine` lo provide a device that will serve as asul;- stitute for the slow and laborious work of guinining adhesivestamps to mail matter by those who send out large quantities of inailevery day.

The invention comprises a`closed casing through which a passageway isformed for the matter to he stamped. Within the casino is a revoluhleshaft., hand or power driven, on which are a plurality of printingrollers projecting into said passageway, each roller provided with astamp diil'ering in value 'from those of the other rollers for printing;the prepaid amount on the letter or package as it travels through thepassage way, the stamps being printed in different colors according totheir diilerenli values; The printing rollers are loose on the shaft butmay be moved longitudinally thereon to bring one or two of them asdesired into proper relation to the passageway and into engagement witha fixed lrey on the shaft and be rotated thereby to print one or twostamps on a letter or package within the passageway.

A. separate registering device or counter for each printingroller isprovided and brought into operative connection therewith when saidroller is moved into printing position. Means are also provided forlocking ii-gruinst rotation, such printing rollers as are not inengagement with the shaft by means of said key. There is also providedellicient means for lookingrinlixed position each counting mechanism orregister and releasing the same coincident with locking and unlockingits respective printing roller.

Connor r pressure rollers are provided for holding` the matter to bestamped close A against the printing rollers, and to'niaintain saidcouliiter pressure rollers always in i nut l5 inclosinfbr said stem. Ashoulder 16 proper relation with the printing rollers as the latter arenioyed longitudinally on the main shaft, suitable adjusting mechanism,

operated simultaneously with the change ofl yiosition'of theprintingrollers is provided tor this purpose.

To more clearly setforth the :features of the invention aboveenumerate/land othersV to he described, attention'is directed to theaccompanying drawings orming a part of this speciication in which*Figure l is a vertical. longitudinal sectional View of the preferredform of the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of feeding meanswhich ,may be applied when the passage oi a letter through the apparatusis to be retarded for printing' stamps thereon. in succession. Fig. Ilis a cross sectional detail View of means'for locking the printingrollers against rotation, and for controlling the position or" thecounter pres sure rollers. Fig, 5 is a sectional View similar to Fig. lof a modified form of the invention. Fig. G is a cross sectional viewthrough the apparatus illustrated in Fig. l. Figs. Z and 8 show detailviews of certain adjusting mechanism for the counter 'pressure rollerso." the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 9. Fig. il is a verticallongitudinal sectional uiew -ot' a further modification. Figs. 10 and l1are views illustrating,l other modifications.

in the drawingsf indicates the mein driving shaft extendinglongitudinally through the casing A of the apparatus which may he turnedby hand or power for imparting rotary movement to the ,printing rollersand other mechanism by means hereinafter described. Mounted loosely onthe support or cage 8, through a slot 6 in one side oi which saidrollers projectnto a passageway 7 for the articleslto be stamped. Oneach roller l, 2, 3, and 4 is a stamp printing block or die, said diesdiering in value and here shown as l0, 20,55 and 3 pfennig stampsrespectively. Project-ing upwardl7 from the center of the cage S andsurround ing the shaft 5 is a hollow stein l0, its upper end passingvthrough the casing A and having thereon an exterior screw thread l0engaging a thread on the interior of a sleeve vlatter cylinder.

ment with notch 29a, the gear wheel 13 lwill bridge the space betweengear wheels 19 and 18, and mesh with both ot' them for operating the and20 pfennig counters, while fingers "28 engaging the cylinders 27 onshafts 19a and 18at will aline with groove 27h of the former cylinder,and groove 27l-of the Further lowering of the cage 8 will enable anoperator to print postal rates of the values of 20 and 10 p'fennig eachby a single printing roller, and of pfennig by means of Ithese tworollers combined. l

It is sometimes necessary or desirable to printfa stamp on a letter at adifferent. distance from the edge thereof than usual, as for instancewhen, after one stamp has been printed, a second is to be applied aboveor below the first one. This may be done by means of the collar 43,which on being rolated in one or the other direct-ions, turns in thethreaded boss 44 on the casing A and rises or descends carrying thesleeve nut 15 with it, which through the loose connection ,115 moves upand down without rotation. The cage 8 with the printing rollers 1, 2, 3

and 4, the fingers 28 and the gear wheel 13 is by this movement of thesleeve nut raised and lowered. To prevent false counting on theregisters 24 under these conditions, the fear wheels 17-20 and thelocking cyliiiders 7 must move in unison with the printing rollers. ForVthis purpose, the collar 4S has a disk 46 fixed on its lower end and i.also a gear wheel 47, the use of which gear will be described later.Between the disk 4b and the gear wheel is aliub projecting from one ofthem rotatable in a plate 45 in which also turn the upper ends oftheshafts 17--0. held aga-inst endwise movement therein by collars 48 oneach shaft aboveand below the plate. Then the collar 43 is turned toraise and lower the cage 8 and connected parts, the plate 45 is carriedwith it as also are the shafts 17k-Q0a with their cylinders 27, pinions21 and gear Wheels 11T-20. The'. position of these various parts shiftedby the collar 43 is indicated by means of a spring 'finger 49 providedwith a vertiral scale, and which bears against thc collar, as shown inFig,- 1. l

It will be evident that the relative position of the gear wheel 18 withrespect to the gear wheels .L7-20 will remain undisturbed, and thatchanging the position of the printing rollers will not interfere withthe 'correct operation ot' the counters. The pinions 21 on the shafts17--L0a are quite wide, as shown, to keep them in engagementwitli thegear wheels Q2 of the counting mechanisms in all positions of saidshafts.

Letters and other matter to be stamped are held against the printingrollers by means of counter-pressure,rollers 88,89 journaledrespectively in yoke's 92, 93 pivoted on a vertical shaft 90 withinahousing 91, which yokes can also oscillate about the axis of the shaft90. ABrackets b2, Gt', project from the side of the casing A in whichthe ends ofthe shaft 90 turn and also slide longitudinally.

The housing 91 is carried on a vertical shaft 94 that hasta slidingbearing in the bottom of casin A, anda similar bearing in a threadedeeve 98 in the top of the casing, the'shaft. turning in said housing,but is prevented from moving endwise rela tively thereto by' means' ofcollars 95, 96 fixed on the shaft on opposite sides of one of the frameplate forming the housing. -As constructed, any longitudinal movementim*- parted to shaft 94 will carry the housing in the same direction asalso the shaft 90 and the counter pressure rollers and their supportingyokes. v

The threaded sleeve 98 has fixed thereon, between its ends, a gear wheel97 meshing with the gear wheel 47 on the collar 43, while its lower endhas a swiveled connection 99 with the closed upper end of a cylinderdrum 100 through the. center of which passes the shaft 94 connected tothe drum in such manner as to turn therewith but permitting the drum ltoslide longitudinally thereon. Fixed on the upper end of the drum 100 isa gear wheel 101 in engagement with a smaller gear Wheel`102 keyed onthe lower end of the sleeve nut 15. From this it fwill be apparent thatwhen the sleeve nut 15 is rotated to raise and lower the hollow stem 10,the gear wheel 102 will turn the gear wheel 101 and with it the drum 109and shaft 94. Because of the swiveled connection 99 the sleeve 98 will.not turn. On turning the collar. 48, the gear wheel 47 thereon throughits connection with the gear wheel 97 revolves the sleeve 98, thuscausing it to move up and down in its threaded bearing in the casino' A.v The drum 100 and the shaft 94 are also raisedy and lowered with thesleeve 98, but they do not rotate. VThe shaft is moved longitudinallywith the drum by means now to be described.

lVithin the drum 100 is a cylinder 105, loosely mounted on the shaft 94,but prevented from sliding thereon by collars 107, 108 fixed on 'ieshaft above and below the cylinder. Around theperiphery ofthe cylf inderis formed a cam groove 105a, eurved as shown, into which project twopins i103, 104 from diametrically opposite sides of the drum. By meansof these pins, wherl/ the drum is raised and lowered 'throughfi theturning of the sleeve 98, the cylinder,I 105, and of course the shaft 94niovew'itih it. Furthermore, when the drum is rotate'd by the gearwheels 102, 101, the pins 103g, 104 turning in a horizontal plane andriding in the cam-groove 1051, move the cylinder; and

shaft up and down a distance regulated by gv-ra of ih@ @mi g1 105 1sprevmted im n isc nin. i043, par

Sha mii@ of two to m 35 sicav@ uut fm 'ih o. rollers; a msf. i913 ml'two 15 t@ bring one or the mbar p --yor 5v/0 of hem mi@ pi'mj the drum100 WIM be *smiled cui subsvnt Hy beige; dizected, c-Wmd 115 and armtion rss m l.'

' [langage "'38 is in mpQrz.

way 7 :md the hand gu; a notch 1152 a p s lng PONS? sbnf fi by hm of h@hooked. fend. 3L d. i SL.

L? im be mi 1.1 om Hm d? i 'sm :ao zum 110 nbave du) 411514: ihre, Qum(Y all;

ifi me ap'paazug, shown in Figs. 2 3 m As there, shown l mili 3.1' frmias the matte?? au and tumeli in ibeo tha he opposed @di w move posit@directions as indio: eff by *dw :wij- Bv this arrangementetmxs n'i'edm?huren the lllkrsrwi'x rmi: be advfmcd Cause the surfaces of thu inoppose dractom. Soft pr 'U8 on he 135i@ the dife/@tos of 'Um fue ter,t'l increased fyi@ overcole the resistance 01M 'thun'i nut 122 whichpresses said disk against the roller 'for the purpose of fixing itfirmly on said spindle. On the face of the disk is anvindex line 121while gradua- 'tions are rnade on the adjacent face of the roller 116-or. the purpose ot setting the same that letters fed through the machinemay he fed in proper position.

For the purpose of keeping the passage way closed as la'r as possible,shields 123, Figs. 1 and 9, are provided on `the cage, which shieldscover the slot 6 for the printing rollers and counter pressure rollersas soon as said rollers have heen removed therefrom. ln addition to theshields a thin metal sheet 12's is used vto cover the opening it theshields 123 are permitted to enter too far into the p* "age way. Aratchet wheel 125, on the shaft and a pawl 126 to engage the same areused to prevent reverse rotation of the main shaft Besides the feedrollers 116 and 117 tor advancing matter, other rollers 129, 130, lilland 132 are journaled Within the passage Way 7 to insure the completepassage of inaterial through the apparatus.

Projecting laterally from one side oi the cage are a series of inkingfountains 39, one

for each printing roller and spaced iroiu one another` by horizontal'rpartition 38. W'ithin the several fountains are rollers 30, 31, 32 and33 for applying init: to the printintr rollers, While inking rollers3s', 36

and 37 keep the applying rollers supplied with ink. These fountainsbeing separated. hy the partitions 38, are each supplied With ink of adifferent color so that the different stamps when printed will have adifferent color value as Well as numerical value. A door 4:0 in the sideof the casing permits ready access to the fountain.

If desired the blade 29, for preventing unnecessary rotation of theprinting rollers, may be made vertically adjustable, as shown in Fig. 9.In said ligure, 29a designates the blade which extends from thehottorn'o'l' the casing A t0 the top thereof, and slidablc in hearingsformed thereon, said blade passinglr through the verticallj,7 adjustableplate This same figure also shows a inodication of the locking means forthe said. shafts 17a-201, which comprises a disk 27g secured to eachshaft adapted to enter one' ot' two notches in a vertical har 28g, whenthe shaft is to rotate,. tlnedto the cage 8. At other times the harenters av notch in the disk and prevents it turning.

Fig. 5, shows a modification ot' a means for adjusting the position ofthe stamp on the' letter with respect to its upper edge. .is here shownthe bottom 41 of 'the passage way 7 is made. separate from the rest olf'the casing;r and is secured in place hy means of a thumb nut 42, movablein a vertical slot in the side oi' the casing A, so that on loosen'-Jing the nut the position of. the hot-toni of the passage way may bechanged to suit the position on the letter Where it is desired to placethe .st-amp. l

Il? it he desired to usci/a separate counter pressure roller for eachprinting roller this may he done by the modification shown in Figs. 7and 8. A`Here the counterv pressure rollers 5G, 57 and 58 are eachmounted on a separate horizontal swinging lever 53, against each ofwhich nears a spring 53 to hold the counter pressure rollers in'con.

tact with the printing rollers. If,'h0wever, it is desirable that thecounter pressure rollers which are not in operation be held out otContact with the printing rollers, averti? cal blade :Ttis providedagainst which the forwardly projectinpr ends 52 of the swinging arms 53hear, and hold the counter pres sure rollers out of the passage Way 'i'.To permit one of these rollers, oriWo if necessary, to move intoposition when stamps are to he printed, a notch 54a isinade in the sideot the blade lvvherehy the swinging arms 53', under the influence ot thespring 53, may swing toward the printing roller. The upper an'd loweredges of the notch 5LP' are inclined to permit the ends of the swingarmsentering' and leaving the same with as little 'friction and interruptionas possible.

Fig. 9 shows'the blade 54 mounted similar to that of 29 so that it maymove vertically' with. the cage, and instead oi forming a notch 5st inthe side of the `blade with beveled ends. a series of rectangularnotches 59, G0 and Glare provided for 'the ends 52 of the swinging arms53. lAnotl'ier Amodification for moving the counter pressure rollers toand from the printing rollers is illustrated in Figs. 10'and 11;."Asshown the counter pressure rollers 55%58 are each `carried in. oneot'the swinging arms 6G, 67,

nosaees is mounted is turned, and the pin 7l carried there :a ller acertain an'iount oi? tree inovement engages the pins T? and. T3 andswings tho counter pressure rollers away troni the printing;- rollers.llach swu'iging arin (S6-G9 has a linaje:- Stl which bears against theblade '5l and holds the counter pressure rollen-s away troni theprinting' rollers, e, cept when such finger opposite one of the iorectangular notches 59, (SO, ol. in said blade. ll'lxeuin said positionthe inger enters the notch and: the ooi-inter pressure roller bearsagainst the printing; roller. To prevent. the

" being inored a rack 8l provided i will engage in .shaft 5.

., licates a, door into the housthe cfnuiter press-u1 rollers pivoted tand having` an outwardly sandino lug` S in position to be engaged by theurnd lever To when' the hitter loclredto the racl 8l. ln this positionVwhen the printing when niored to unlock rollers ,are free to turn andbe more or less exposed, it is impossible to open the door T55 .Wit'iontmoving the er T5 which cannot in the locking dish ine with the hook endSi: of

lilihn t-l he notch. E l

ris notch in line .Y 'ad ther the. lever 75 may be ay ein the door andthe latter brit at this time the stamp die on p' roller will have beenmoved to uf'ithiu 1die casing and away :troni otf tampering orinterfering 'in Fig. 5, and is advantageous when `ie bottoni oi thepassage Way 7 is made adjustable as there shown. ln this inst-ance'three lcounter pressure rollers S5, 8G and 87 are en'iployed. Themiddle roller 86 of the three, is sutlic-iently wide to extend trom theiniddle of one printing roller to the inidd ol the adjacent printing`roller. T he end counter pressure rollers however, are only haltl asWide. These rollers are mounted on a spindle S82* having squared ends88' carried in oscillating lere-s S9 pivotcd to o0 Athe housingsurrounding` the rollers 85, 86

and 87 yin a manner Well understood to permit said rollers swinging' toand from the irinting rollers. The spindle SS is of one diameter aroundwhich thcroller turns,

beyond which its cudsare reduced or of less diameter and eccentrically'arranged with respect to' the central portion. The disks Sli-8,7 aremounted to turn on l'njibs projecting' from a handle 91 through whichhubs the smaller portions SS olf' the shaft l pass. By iueans of thishandle 91.a these disks may lie-rotated about the reduced portion SSGoi' the shaft ln the position shown all three rollers oi'er pressureagainst the lower printing vrollers 3 and fl., but' if the w' tableposition, with which the handI .5

ja. simple arrangement for .ng 'the counter pressure rollers is.

the sliatt, ineans tor locking` the ren'iainder of the rollers againstrotation, and an inde-` pendent inecl'ianisin for registering theiinprint ot each printing roller.l

2. ln an apparatus of the character decribed, a rotatable shaft, aplurality of stamp printing rollers mounted on said 85 shaft and adaptedto rotate and to move longitudinally thereon into printing position,means tor rotatably connecting one or an adjacent pair of rollers tosaid shaft, eounterpressure rollers for cooperating with the printingrollers, an independent mecha.- nisrngtor registering the imprint ot'each printing roller, and ineans controlled by the longitudinaltravel ofsaid rollers for connecting only to the roller in printing position itsindividual registering mechanism and disconnecting;` the remainderu lnan apparatus of the character described, a rotatable shaft, a pluralityof stamp printing rollers mounted on said shaft, and adapted to rotateand to move longitudinally thereon into printing position, rubans forrotatably connecting; one or an adjacent pair of rollers to said shaft,oounterpressure rollers for coperating with the printing` rollers, anindependent mechanism for registeringthe imprint ot each printingroller, means controlled by the longitudinal travel of said rollers forconnecting only to the roller in. printing position its independentregistering,` mechanism and disconnecting the remainder, means torlocking against rotation all printing rollers not in use, and means forlocking against falso rotation the inactive registering niechanisins.

4t. In. an apparatus ot' the character described, a rotatable shaft, aplurality ot stamp printing` rollers mounted to rotate and niorelongitudinally on said slia'tt,`120 means for rotatably connecting` oneor an` adjacent pair oi rollers to said shaft, means tor impartinglongitudinal movementto said rollers to causetheir engagement with theshaft, counter pressure rollers to co- 1.25 operate with .the printingrollers, and means tor moving said counter pressure -rollers in anend-Wise direction coincident with the Longitudinal movement of the.printing' rollers. i

5. In an apparatus of ythefcharacter described, a rotatable shaft, aplurality of stamp printing rollers mounted to rotate and movelongitudinally `on said shaft, means for rotatably connecting one or anadjacent pair of rollers to said shaft, counter pressure rollers tocooperate with the printing rollers, rotating means for moving saidprinting rollers longitudinally on the shaft, and similar means formoving in unison the counter pressure rollers and operated by the movingmeans of the printing rollers.

G. ln an apparatus of the character described, a rotatable shaft, aplurality of stamp printing rollers mounted to rotate and movelongitudinally on said shaft, means for rotatably connecting one or anadjacent pair of rollers to said shaft, counterpressure rollers forcooperating with the 2O printingrollers, a cage in which said printingrollers are carried, a hollow stem attached to said cage andsurroundingsaid shaft,`and a threaded member on said hollow stem whichon being rotated moves the printing rollers longitudinally.

7. In an apparatus o f the character described, a 'rotatable shaft, aplurality of stamp printing rollers mounted to rotate and movelongitudinally on said shaft,

means for rotatably connecting one or an adjacent pair of rollers tosaid shaft, counterpressure rollers for cooperating with the printingrollers, acage supporting said'.

' printing rollers, a hollow stem projecting from one side of sal-d cageand having a thread onits outer end, a sleeve nut threaded on saidhollow stem for longitudinally moving the printing rollers, and a collarthreaded in the casing of the apparatus in 4G which said sleeve nut isswiveled which on being rotated moves said sleeve nut ina longitudinaldirection.

scribed, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of stamp Vprinting rollersmounted to rotate and move longitudinally on said shaft, means forrotatably connecting one or an adjacent pair of rollers to said shaft, acage in which said printing rollers are supported having a hollow stemprojecting therefrom in'which said shaft rotates, a sleeve nut threadedupon the hollow stem for longitadinally moving the printing rollers, a

collar threaded'in the casing of the appa- 8. In an apparatus of thecharacter de` ratus in which said sleeve nut is swiveled, counterpressure rollers for coperatingwith the printing rollers, means operatedby the rotation of the sleeve. nut for longitudinally moving thecounterpressure rollers simultaneously with the printing rollers, andother connections from said threaded collar for similarly moving. theycounter pressure rollers.

9. In an apparatus of the character de-' register shafts as therespective printing4 rollers are brought'into operative position.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a rotatable shaft, aplurality of stamp printing rollers mounted to rotate and movelongitudinally on said shaft, means for rotatably connecting one or anadjacent pair of rollers to-said shaft, 'counter pressure rollers forcooperating with the printing rollers, a sliding shaftfor longitudinallymoving said counter pressure rollers and ,a locking mechanism foralternately locking againstrotation the rotatable shaft and the slidingshaft for moving the counter pressure rollers.

1l. In an apparatus of the character described, a rotatable shaft., aplurality of stamp printing rollers mounted to rotate and 'nuovelongitudinally on said shaft, means for rotatably connecting one or .anadjacent pair of rollers to said shaft, means for moving said printingrollers longitudinally and advancing one-or the other into stampingposition and other means for moving said rollers longitudinally of theshaft for changing the position of impression of the stamp on a letter.

In testimony` whereof have hereunto signed my naine in the presence oftwo subscril'iing witnesses.

' JULIUS LERCHE. lVitnesses HENRY Hasrnr., lWOLDEMAR HAUPT.

